Bob and Bill had been friends just about their whole lives, well, since the 6th grade. They did everything together, if one played football, so did the other. Even their parents thought of the other kid as their own. They dressed alike and let their hair grow into wavy curls that came down almost over their ears and down to the collar in back. Bob would never have thought of doing something if Bill wouldn't also do it, and vice versa. At the 8th grade dance they decided to wear white sport coats, like back in the 50's with a red carnation. So it wasn't surprising when they were 14 they decided they were going to join the Marines together when they graduated highschool.
Bob's dad was kinda surprised when he was asked for $15 to get a haircut after school one Friday morning. It was Bill's mom that was asked if he could go with Bob to get a haircut. She was a little puzzled, but kept it to herself. She volunteered the $15 so they could stop and have a snack. Bill usually went with her, when he couldn't get out of it, to get his hair trimmed at the unisex salon.
There was a barbershop not far from school that said they gave military style haircuts as well as other gentlemen's cuts for $10. That would leave them each money to stop at the old fashioned drug store and get a rootbeer float. There were 4 chairs, not the small one like a styling salon, but big, black leather and chrome. The kind that little boys had booster seats for. That afternoon when they arrived two chairs were empty. They could see themselves in the mirror with the long hair curling out from under their baseball caps. They looked at each other and took their caps off. The hair seemed to be even longer when it wasn't being held down.
"You boy's come to get a haircut", asked the barber from the farthest chair. "Yes sir." "Come on and have a seat. John here will take care of you, he said pointing to Bill. My name is Greg", he introduced himself to Bob. They each climbed up into their chair. John asked Bill how he would like his haircut. "We're getting Marine haircuts. Flat tops, real close on the sides like the sergeant down at the recruiting office." John said he knew the sergeant who came in about every week and a half. He had been expecting him today. He set about getting Bill ready for his haircut. A strip of paper from a roll around his neck then the cape swirled out to cover him down over his legs and snugly fastened over the paper tape. Bob had gotten the same treatment by his barber.
John picked up his trusty Oster clippers, brushed them off and added a few drops of oil. He snapped them on and off. Bill gave a start, "Are you ready"? Bill sat up a little straighter and held his breath. He tried not to jump when there was a loud pop when the clippers were turned on next to his ear. John had added a guard over the blades. He started right at the front and pushed the clippers steadily across the top to the back. Bill could feel the vibrating as well as hear buzzing. He missed seeing the mass of sandy brown hair that fell to the floor behind the chair. In about 7 passes the hair on top of his head was about 3/4's of an inch high. John removed the guard. "Now we'll take care of the sides and back." The clippers snapped back on. Bill now saw the hair fall down the cape and into his lap as the hair was cut. He wanted to turn his head and see how Bob was looking, but he didn't dare turn his head. Bill had pushed it over to one side as he went over the sideburns and nearly to the top. Then around his ear. Whole strips of hair were mowed from one side, then the other. John held a handful of hair with one hand as he began to run the clippers over the back. He held the severed hair out and asked Bill if he'd like a souvenir. Bill held out his hand to hold the nearly 8" long lock of hair. Now he began to wonder what his mom would think. It was just a little too late to worry. The sides were about 1/8th of an inch, the top was still nearly an inch. That didn't last long as John took out his comb and began to create the flat top freehanded. First the ran the clippers from the back up over the top to the center high spot, then used his comb to keep it level from that point to the front. Now that the basic height was established, it was easy to go from the front to the back, the clippers run right over the teeth on the comb which held the hair up straight. Just as he was finishing up, using crew wax to make it stand up straight and making snips with the scissors, Marine Sergeant Cody Williams came in for his weekly haircut. "John, your not giving my haircut away are you?" "No Sergeant Cody, these young men came in and said they wanted a haircut just like yours." Sergeant Cody looked the two young men over. "You're looking pretty sharp there guy's. Are you planning on joining my Marine Corps?" "We made a pact, me and my buddy here. As soon as we graduate from highschool we're gonna join up."
Bob, who was hearing the conversation, had already been turned around to see his flat top. His hair was a dirty blond. The sides of his head, after the haircut looked white. He glanced at the sergeant then looked up at the barber. "Can you get it closer on the sides?" "You sure?" asked his barber. "Yes sir. As short as you cut the sergeants." Gregory nodded his head and picked up a different pair of clippers. These were red, the blades were slimmer and the teeth finer. He pushed Bob's head gently to the side and pushed then over the sides keeping the blades firmly down on the skin. He took the sideburns completely off, bare skin, then went around the ear, then over the sides, only when he neared the top did he take out his comb and make sure there was some graduation to the top to meet the flat top. One side then the other, then up over the back. He set Bob's head looking straight ahead and told him to hold it very still. He took the blades over the center on top of his head, now there was a truly bare strip. Eyeballing it Greg reduced the flat top until there was just a C around the top and front. A horseshoe. He turned off the clippers and used a warm damp towel to finish cleaning off the little pieces of hair. "Now. How's that young man? A real high and tight horse shoe flat top." Bob grinned. He looked at the sergeant. "What do you think? Will this pass muster?" The sergeant nodded, "I think that'll do just fine." Bill had meantime reminded his barber that his hair was to be cut just like his friends. If Bob's was going to be closer, so should his. It didn't take John any longer to reduce Bill's hair to that same high and tight horseshoe haircut.
When th
ey were out of the chair and paid up, Sergeant Cody introduced himself. He told them that if they would wait until his haircut was finished, they could go back with him to the recruiting office and he'd give them each a tee shirt. So they sat and watched as Sergeant Cody had his flat top renewed. He sometimes got it real high and tight and sometimes he just let it rest at about 1/8th of an inch. Today, he told John it would be a shaved high and tight. Bob and Bill were impressed when he stepped down from the chair. He looked real sharp in his blue pants with the red stripe on each leg, a khaki shirt with ribbons and shooting medals. After he paid, he motioned for them to come go with him. Stepping outside in his spit shined black dress shoes, he put his white hat on. They walked with him, one on either side, to the recruiting office. He told them to wait as he went in back to get them the tee shirts. A staff sergeant came out with him to see why the sergeant wanted him to bring the camera. Sergeant Cody handed them a red tee shirt with a gold Eagle, Globe and Anchor on the left front poscket and a bulldog head on the back. The three of them stood proud in front of the Marine Corps emblem on the wall while the staff sergeant took their picture. Sergeant Cody told them that if they came back in a couple of weeks, when they got their next haircut, he'd have them each a picture.
The boys raced home. They went to Bill's house first. His mom and dad had just come in from work and were in the kitchen getting dinner ready. "Do I know you boy's?" his dad asked. "Mother, look at these heads." "Oh my! That's really short. Why did you get it cut so short? It looks good though. Better than that long hair you had. What are your friends going to say?" "We're going to join the Marines after we graduate. Sergeant Cody gave us these tee shirts and told us to come by tomorrow. He would show us what we need to do to get ready, you know, physical fitness." As for the question about what their friends would think: They just shrugged. They were happy. So far so good. Bill asked if he could go over to Bob's, "just for a few minutes." "OK, but supper will be in about 45 minutes, don't be late." Bob asked, "If it's ok with my mom, can he stay over for supper at my place?" "I suppose. Let me call and see." "Don't tell her about the haircut though, we want to surprise her." "Oh, alright." She called Bob's mom, and sure it was ok. It was Friday, and if it was ok, he could even spend the night if he liked. It was his turn to stay over anyway. Bob had stayed at Bill's last. Bill dashed up the stairs with Bob right behind as he went to get his overnight bag. His mom just shook her head. "Boy's!"
"Oh goodness. What have you boy's done to your hair?" "We just got it cut short." "Short! You've been scalped." "Mom! It's just like we asked for it to be cut. And look, Sergeant Cody gave us tee shirts with the Marine Corps emblem on it." Bob was excited. His mom just shook her head. His father had been a Marine, so there was a good chance the son would follow in his footsteps. Not that it was a bad thing. He could go to college when he got out. The boys ran off to Bob's room on the note that they should "wash up and get ready to eat just as soon as your father get's in."
Three years later, Bob and Bill were still the best of friends. They were joining the Marine Corps and going off to Parris Island after their summer break. They would both be 18 then. Sergeant Cody had helped them prepare themselves for the physical training. They had gone running with him and he showed them how to do push-ups and pull ups. They were almost too gung ho. But, their parents quit worrying as they had good grades and were active in sports through highschool. They even had girlfriends who thought they were just `the most' with their flat tops. They always dressed neatly and were gentlemen. There was a Sergeant Newman that took over from Sergeant Cody. He was a little younger and they became like younger brothers to him. He continued to work with them and helped them keep in touch with `their Sergeant'. Boot camp was pretty much just like they had been told. Their flat tops were buzzed off just like the rest of the recruits. When the recruits were allowed to let it grow back some, they asked if they could get their flat tops back. The DI's were impressed with their all out, gung ho attitude. They led the way for most of the other recruits in every endeavor. Both fired expert with the rifle. Bill was the guidon bearer and Bob was a squad leader. They were surprised when Staff Sergeant Cody showed up at their graduation to congratulate them on being in the top 10 of their Company and being promoted to PFC.
Over the next 4 years Bob and Bill were steadily promoted upward to sergeants. They maintained their high and tight flat tops on a weekly basis. They were honorably discharged at the end of that time and returned to their home town to go to college.
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